Roads weathering rain (1/5/03)

The buckets of rain that have fallen over the area in the past few weeks have not caused serious damage — yet — to Jay County roads.

Dan Watson, the county engineer who is currently serving as interim highway superintendent, told Jay County Commissioners this morning that although water levels are high, there have been no major wash-outs of stone or surfaced roads.

Watson said that the New Corydon area, as usual, is experiencing flooding, but that county road 750 East, one of two north-south roads in and out of New Corydon, is still passable.

Watson said this morning that county highway workers are busy today putting more stone down on stone roads that have been left soft and muddy by a wetter-than normal winter.

Also today, Commissioners Mike Leonhard, Gary Theurer and Milo Miller Jr. said there are 15 applicants for the position of highway superintendent, which became available when Robert Sours resigned after seven years to become Portland’s new police chief.

The commissioners planned to review resumes from applicants today, narrowing down the list to the top three or four choices. At that point, Theurer said, the commissioners will decide whether to conduct interviews or make their selection.

Watson told the commissioners he believes the most important qualifications for the new superintendent will be an ability to manage people and to communicate effectively with the public and elected officials.

In another matter this morning, the commissioners approved the terms of an agreement to purchase a building at 215 W. Main St. with an eye toward possible future expansion of the Jay County Jail.

The agreement must still be approved in the form of an ordinance by the Jay County Council at its Jan. 14 meeting.

The total purchase price will be $175,000 — the average of two appraisals requested by the county in late 2002. But that price will be reduced to $163,000 with a clause allowing current owner/tenant Hanni Plumbing Heating and Cooling to remain in the rear portion of the building for two years.

Building and business owner Jeff Sprunger would pay the county $131.26 per month towards the water and electric bill.

Also today, the commissioners:

•Agreed to support an effort by a regional commission to win funding for a planning grant to improve water quality in the Wabash River Watershed.

Ken Brunswick, Jay County’s representative on the four-county Wabash River Basin Commission, asked the commissioners to support the effort to apply for a series of planning grants from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

The planning process has been broken down into four stages, Brunswick said this morning. Each phase of the process will cost about $100,000, he said.

The focus of the group is to improve the quality of water in the watershed — not to specifically work to alleviate flooding. “This is water quality; not water quantity,” Brunswick said.

•Learned from Brunswick, who works for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, that state funds might be available for the maintenance of county road 250 West, the access road to the Loblolly Marsh Wetland Preserve.

The road, which is currently covered by water, provides access to the preserve, which is a Department of Natural Resources site.

Brunswick said that if the commissioners would draft a letter requesting the assistance, he would help move the request forward. He said it could be several years before the state acted on the request.

•Re-appointed Miller as president and Theurer as vice-president.[[In-content Ad]]